Saturday, January 24, 2009

2009 NHL Super Skills Competition live coverage

TV: CBC

The panel gets into all the Lecavalier to Montreal BS. It's the big topic lately. But the Lightning are only 8 points from the final playoff spot. They have won 6 of their last 8. I don't see him jumping ship anytime soon, unless Tampa tanks.

Great Ovechkin profile. Alex is saying that he, Backstrom and other Caps players will be sporting a freaky haircut during the playoffs this year but wouldn't elaborate.

Wow, there is a pipe organ being played at center ice right now. The singer has Britney Spears talent.

Luongo is the first All Star to skate onto the ice. A big thrill for him this experience is.

I think JS Giguere and even Sheldon Sourray have had the biggest ovations so far during the introductions. Mark Streit got a rousing ovation as well. But listen to that cheer for Lecavalier! Holy smokes. These guys read the papers too much. The ovation goes on for over 20 seconds.Fans are loving Ovechkin.Kaberle gets the boo's. He's the first to get that treatment.The french love their own, huh? Martin St. Louis gets a great cheer.Tim Thomas, Marc Savard and Zdeno Chara get boo'd, naturally.Komisarek, Markov, Kovalev and Price get the home cheers.

On to the skills....

SPEED SKATING

Good to see Mason Raymond, who is a participating in the Young Stars game, get a chance to skate with the older players. This is the first time this has been able to happen.1 lap around the ice.

This is the one we've been talking about. Let's see what kind of freaky shit these guys can pull off. Fans will do the voting on this one.So the goalies are punks who are told to basically stay out of the way of the incoming forward. Fair enough. This is all about the forwards anyways.

Patrick Kane: Used the butt of his stick to try score. Players get multiple chances.His last try was sweet.My score: 6

Martin St. Louis: Oh wow. What a showing.My score: 8.5

Ryan Getzlaf: Nice! He pulled off the lacrosse move! But mostly failed at the others.My score: 7.5

Alex Kovalev: He just banked the puck off his head on the way in! He showed some original stuff indeed.My score: 8

Steve Stamkos: More energy from Stamkos than the others. So much for the goalie getting out of the way....My score: 8

So, between Ovechkin and St. Louis. I think St. Louis bagged 2 great plays....so I'll pick him as the winner.

That was a good time. There's a lot of pressure on these guys to complete their moves. Not many were pulled off successfully. But it was more fun to watch than last year's event.Sophomore vs Rookies Game

Period 1

Carey Price and Pekka Rinne steal the show. Mason Raymond is everywhere as usual but has zero points to show for it. The players are playing at half-pace.3-1 Rookies after 1.

Period 2

The pace is a little faster. Mason Raymond bagged one after a pretty 3-way passing play and then played for 2 extra consecutive minutes.For the record: Blake Wheeler is sick. Just sick.More goals in this period. 7-4 Rookies so far.

Period 3

Devon Setoguchi scores the goal of the game in this frame. What hands. I remember watching him play for the Prince George Cougars 2 years ago. There was no one on the ice that even came close to having his talent.9-5 Rookies win.Best players of the game: 1. Blake Wheeler (3 goals) and 2. Pekka Rinne.

-I would have watched the Crosby interviews before the next event but I was too busy watching paint dry.

Ovechkin won the breakaway challenge as voted by the fans. Popularity contest. Ovechkin voted for Stamkos.ACCURACY SHOOTING

Toews: off the post (Backstrom)Doan: scores. snap shot just over the glove (Lundqvist)Parise: off the post.Dustin Brown: tries a one-hander and missesWeber: almost but no.Robidas: hit the post. adioseNiedermayer: through the legs and sneaks in.Markov: stopped by King HenrikSourray: snap shot goal over the blockerChara: scores.Savard: nice move and a goal.Tkachuk: saveMarleau: scores along the iceCarter: save by HenrikHeatley: glove saveNash: shoots and misses highKovalchuk: stopped by BackstromLecavalier: stopped. great save by LundqvistVanek: scores on Giguere (goalie switch)Eric Staal: stopped by Tim ThomasHejduk: oh wow, nice backhander. Best goal so far.Streit: stopped by Thomas and then crashes into that thingyKaberle: stopped by JiggyCampbell: save by Thomas. Timmy is gold.Boyle: stopped by GiguereBoumeester: scores off the post and in.Komisarek: save by GiguereModano: scores on Thomas with a snap shotThornton: missed the netGetzlaf: nice goal on Thomas. made it look easyIginla: stopped by JSGMalkin: stopped by a Hasek-like ThomasSt. Louis: tries to go 5-hole and is stoppedOvechkin: stopped by Thomas. OV almost loast the puck there.Kane: missed on the backhandKovalev: scores! What a shot.

Round 2

Doan: scores top shelfNiedermayer: scores along the iceSourray: stopped.Chara: gets fancy and is stopped by teammate ThomasSavard: nice goal!Marleau: scores. made Lundqvist go rightVanek: stopped by GiguereHejduk: oh wow. scoresBoumeester: stoppedModano: backhander and stoppedGetzlaf: scores along the ice on his buddy GiguereKovalev: what a damned save by Thomas as he does the splits

Round 3

Doan: nice back hand goal on BackstromNiedermayer: stoned by LundqvistSavard: 5-hole goalMarleau: another insane save by Thomas. Thomas never quits!Hejduk: scores.backhander geniusGetzlaf: finally stopped by Lundqvist who stayed with him

Round 4

Doan: saved by JiggySavard: overplayed and missedHejduk: stopped by Backstrom

OT

Doan: nice save by GiguereSavard: stopped by King HenrikHejduk: easy save by Backstrom, who didn't even go down

OT 2

Doan: 100 moves and scores along the iceSavard: Scores on Thomas! Conspiracy!Hejduk is stopped by Backstrom.

Awful, awful coverage by CBC. Too much blabbering, replays and interviews at bad times, not to mention cutaways to people I don't give a flying fuck about. Little inset frames of people not reacting. The list goes on...

Anyhow, it killed off a couple of hours. And I like the shots of Montreal at night...Takes me back to my childhood. I used to see that sweeping search light thingy from my backyard. Long ago and far away...

Yah, she and Courtney could have made a fearsome duo on D. What's that chick's name anyways? Never seen her and who was that scary guy on the pipe organ? I might have nightmares tonight over that I tell ya. and that was a nifty move by Lecavalier in the breakaway event.

Sean: Yeah, well, I worked in film for a long time so I guess I notice things like that more than the average person.

By the way: It's footage if it's filmed or taped, and coverage if it's live. So the replays were footage and the rest of it coverage. Oh, and the shots of people lined up outside the Bell Centre would be footage too.

Now that I've enlightened you, would you kindly do the same for me? There's still a lot I don't know about hockey (that's probably pretty obvious) and I haven't got a clue who Ekland is.

Jimbuff: Yeah, the only time Chara got a break from the fans was when he won for his charity on the hardest shot. So Wheeler was drafted 5th overall by the Coyotes yet the Bruins signed him to an entry level contract...what happened there?